A Home for Stray Cats (OLD)
by Darandus548
Summary: Cat meets boy, shenanigans ensue. Many silly and serious things will happen to them along the way. Some of them you'll expect. Others not so much. They'll meet new people and probably have to fight others. Hopefully at the end of all this they'll find a home where they can be happy.
1. Chapter 1

Should be obvious already but this will contain spoilers. You've been warned.

 **Notes:** Thoughts will show up as _italics_

Some names of locations as well as aspects of characters will to be changed to better reflect the original Japanese translation. Ex: Elysium = Eden Otherwise, some slight liberties will be taken with how some characters will be potrayed, while still remaining faithful to the source material.

This story will mainly be read in a third person limited view. This means that it will mainly follow that of a singular character through an 'over the shoulder' viewpoint. That character in this case will be Nia. Occasionally, the viewpoint may zoom out at points to provide necessary context or scene setting.

Oh and if you didn't see before Morag is a guy in this one.

 **Updated 5/22/18**

Went ahead and gave this one a look through after an extended period, made some changes here and there. Mainly, stuff having to do with some of the wording, and phrasing. Nothing major. Expect to see more changes in the future.

\- I am also looking for additional beta readers for possible proofreading at the moment. If you can, feel free to PM if you're interested.

 **A Home for Stray Cats:** Chapter 1

* * *

Aboard the humongous salvaging dredge known only to those who were intimate in the trade as the 'Maelstrom', its crew spoke to each other with great enthusiasm about what they believed was to be one their most profitable salvages yet. Some of the salvagers in the ship's cargo hold spoke amongst themselves of what they would spend it on. Others wrote letters to send back to their loved ones, promising better times ahead. And still others had decided to start early and booze up, drinks slammed back within a matter of minutes.

Of the lot, there was one that decidedly less excited about the whole affair: a single Gormotti girl with grey hair and a yellow form fitting jumpsuit.

* * *

Until recently. she'd hunkered down in a dark spot in the corner of the hold, lost in thought. With the drunken festivities beginning, she suddenly found it much harder to actually think and was awoken her from her stupor.

"This is what we get for hiring run-of-the-mill salvagers… Morons, the lot of them…" She grumbled.

At first, she tried to ignore it all, quickly finding that the pounding of her eardrums only worsened over time. _I just wanted to have some peace and quiet. Why is this SO hard?!_

The final straw finally came when a stray airborne bottle flew past her head and crashed into a wall behind her.

She felt a deep anger within her quickly build, knowing that if she'd stayed there any longer she was liable do something she might very well regret. That and get a migraine from the noise alone.

She made a beeline for a nearby stairway in hopes to find some place quieter. She quickly found herself on the main deck. Unfortunately, she found the deck was also crowded with even more of the boozers, many of whom had decided to raise a toast in honor of some busty woman they somehow all knew.

Worming her way through the crowd, she spotted another set of stairs leading up to what looked like the ship's crows nest. _That'll do._

With a nimble hop, skip, and a jump, she soared over the crowd with ease and escaped up the stairway without attracting too much attention, quickly finding herself stepping out onto the crow's nest main platform.

Much to her relief, there didn't seem to be anyone up there. Yet. She took a deep breath in the hopes that it would allow her to clear her head when she was hit with the sudden chill of the night's breeze.

A shiver ran through her. "Ugh, It's way too cold up here," she mumbled, hugging herself for warmth.

"You-" A voice came from behind her.

Her earlier anger returned in full and she whirled around to face the person. "Yeah what?!" she snarled. "I've got a name y'know?! It's -oh." She felt the words catch in her throat before she could finish upon noticing who she'd just yelled at.

As her luck would have it, or lack there of, it was the boy from the Argentum Trade Guild, specifically the one she'd already had a number of less than savory encounters with over the last few days.

"Yo." The boy greeted cooly, raising up a nonchalant hand in greeting.

The girl fidgeted uncomfortably, trying to hide her flustered face. "Y-you're that kid from the Argentum Trade Guild…" she said, hastily collecting herself.

She felt like an idiot being caught off guard like this.

"Rex." The boy said, pointing a thumb towards himself.

"Huh?"

He gestured to her. "My name. You were about to tell me yours."

She eyed him knowingly for a moment. "Uh... It's Nia. What do you want anyway?" She managed, still feeling a little aggravated at herself.

"I have lookout duty so..." He stated, holding up a pair of binoculars.

Nia eyed him again, wary that he may be setting up for another witty joke at her own expense. When she found no ill will, she let out a heavy sigh."Fine. Just try to keep the noise down. And don't bother me." she said, walking to a nearby corner, still a bit miffed.

She could see him stare at her for a moment before shrugging and walking out onto the of the platform to survey the horizon.

Much to her own surprise, Nia was able to enjoy a fair amount of silence.

Rex, true to his word, remained relatively silent as he scanned the horizon with his binoculars. Occasionally, he'd shuffle to different sides of the platform for a better vantage point from which he could observe for any potential objects.. But through it all, he tried his best to not bother her.

Nia herself meanwhile had, yet again, curled up into a ball in the corner she'd found. At one point she'd even started to doze off.

That is until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, Nia. Wake up."

"Muh- Wha?" She opened her eyes blearily, raising her head in confusion. It was Rex again, and he looked a bit concerned.

"You're going to catch a cold if you sleep up here."

"Mmm… I thought I told you not to bother me?" She grumbled, rubbing one of her eyes with a curled fist. "Why do you care anyway?"

"Salvager's Code: Sleep in a blizzard, sleep in the dirt." He recited.

She gave him an incredulous look. "And what? Sleeping in bad weather is bad for your health?"

"Well- err yeah. I guess…" He stammered, scratching the back of his head. "Honestly, there are some things I've have heard from the Salvager's Code even I question a little bit."

She narrowed her eyes at him; she swore he was mocking her again. "How many of those Salvager's code things are there?" She asked, testing for his response.

He paused for a moment, apparently thinking about the question. "I think there's over like, a thousand, but I only know like, fifty seven."

Nia was dumbfounded. She couldn't tell if the kid was just messing with her, or if he was actually this dedicated to his trade.

"Heh." He chuckled, rubbing underneath his nose. "Yeah, I'm not the most experienced salvager, but then again, there is always room to improve!"

Nia couldn't help but smile. He really was an idiot. _Let's try and humor him a bit._

"Count me out then, I don't think I'd be cut out for life as a salvager, especially if I'd have to memorize that many rules." She declared, waving her hand dismissively in the air.

"Well, at least you can be honest about it." He complimented her, seeming a little distant. "Truthfully, I don't think I'd be very happy with just being a driver either." He smiled to himself. "Even with all the extra money I'd be able to make..."

Nia sat up from her reclined position, her interest rising. "Why is that? I remember when I first met you, which would've been like two days ago, you were yelling 'AMAZING!' and 'WOW DRIVERS ARE COOL!'. Were you just being two-faced about it or...?" She asked, testing his reaction while a sly grin that stretched its way across her mouth.

"Uh… well it's kind of a little embarrassing..." He said, chuckling to himself.

The boy's sudden modesty surprised Nia. _Where is this coming from?_

"It's because of that." She saw him point at something in the distance.

Getting to her feet, she peered over the railing and followed where he pointed to a large the tree that stood in distance. "What? You mean the World Tree?"

"Yep, that's the one." He nodded. "A lot of what we salvagers find is a mixed bag. Some of it is trash, other times its treasures… but all of it is from those people long ago."

Nia watched him lean over the railing and quickly joined him in surveying the horizon. "Have you noticed how there's less and less titans every day?" he asked, to which she nodded.

"I saw one go under just the other day. It was a pretty big one as well. There must've been a lot of animals still living on it when it finally went under..."

"Living space is running out day by day. Sooner or later, we'll be the ones sinking down into the Cloud Sea."

He looked back up from the clouds towards the top of the World Tree. "But up there… Eden is waiting for us."

"Pff Bwahahahah!"

She couldn't help but laugh Even if he was right about everything else, he was still talking about Eden. As in THE Eden: a place of unimaginable beauty. A place where everyone could apparently live. _This kid, I swear. He has to be screwing with me now. He just HAS to be._

"Are you serious? 'Eden'? Don't tell me you believe that old wives tale that parents tell their kids?! And that's why uhh… why you're a salvager?"

He turned back to her, a look of annoyance on his face. "If there is a way to get up there, maybe it's hidden beneath the clouds. Is it really so crazy to think that?" He replied indignantly.

"Honestly though…" She reasoned, wiping some moisture from her eyes.

He leaned against the railing, putting both hands on the bar. "There'd be no need to fight over dwindling land and resources… We wouldn't have to worry about our homes sinking away… Everyone would be happy… I mean having a dream like that… Isn't that worth believing in?" There was a hopeful look in his eyes.

"No one can tell you what to believe, but..." she paused for a moment, putting a hand on her hip. Nia somehow found his dream to be strangely fascinating. _Hmm…"Everyone," huh…?_

"What is it?"

"Oh, uh, nothing. It's just that you kind of poured your heart out there is all..."

"I told you it was kind of embarrassing." Rex murmured, averting his eyes anxiously.

Nia shook her head. "I don't think it's embarrassing at all. I think it's a nice dream to have."

Rex looked a bit taken aback at the compliment. "Err… thanks Nia," he said —she noticed he was blushing a bit — and continued, "To be honest, that was actually the first time I've ever told anyone about it before..." He scratched the back of his head absentmindedly.

She managed a crooked smile, feeling a little embarrassed. "Oh... uh well... I'm happy to have heard it." _I think._

* * *

Their conversation continued for a while longer as they discussed some other miscellaneous topics: what their jobs were like, what their favorite foods were, and so on.

At some point, in the midst of the conversation, a question began to nag at her. She knew it would've been weird to ask it to him out of the blue. But it was important to her, if only as something she wanted to confirm.

It was at a point where the conversation hit a lull that she found it too irresistible to ask.

* * *

"Rex, do you have any parents?" She suddenly blurted out, and instantly regretted asking.

Rex looked to her for a moment and then back horizon. "Ah, no." he responded quickly, sounding distant. "They died when I just a kid."

"Oh." Nia stated dumbly.

 _Nice going idiot._

"Sorry I asked... is it a sore topic?" She fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Not really. Not anymore anyway. I made peace with them years ago."

She twiddled her thumbs. "Er... ok. Do you remember anything about them?"

"No, the most I can remember of them is just short flashes and images…" He answered, putting a contemplative finger to his chin.

"Ah."

"The people of the village were kind of enough to bring me in, but it was Gramps who really taught me most of what I know.

"'Gramps'... ah, he's the one who taught you to use Arts?"

Rex's skill with using arts, especially from what she'd seen previously, showed that, while very limited, he had great potential.

"Yeah, he basically raised me himself." He smiled fondly. "Though he's… different from what you'd think."

She cocked her head to the side. "I don't think I understand."

"Think bigger." Rex responded simply.

She raised an eyebrow suspriciously. "Ah, huh. Bigger. Right." she acquiesced.

"Well, I don't know about you, but this Gramps of yours must be a good guy, especially if he's put up with you for so long." She turned to him, managing to give a genuine smile. "And well… You're pretty alright too kid- I mean Rex."

His eyes brightened for a moment at her compliment. "Thanks, Nia." He said, a small grin forming on his lips.

"Yeah yeah, don't get too mushy with me here." She said giving him a playful punch in the shoulder.

 _He's not all that different from me._ Nia fondly smiled to herself.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey, if you're reading this then that means you've finished the chapter. Thanks for reading so far!

This is only the beginning, so expect more to come in the future!

I'd also like to take the time and thank everyone that had put in the effort to write a review, favorite, and/or follow as well. I'm happy people are showing interest in the story so far! (Seeing as it's only the first chapter).

All in all, thanks everyone for the support so far!

Special thanks to the Beta Reader(s): (Their name here if they wish to be credited)


	2. Chapter 2

Still should be obvious but this will contain spoilers. Seriously.

 **Notes:** Thought's will show up as _italics._

Some names of locations, and aspects of characters will be changed to better reflect the original Japanese translation, or have certain liberties taken.

 **Updated 2/24/18**

 **A Home for Stray Cats:** Chapter 2

* * *

The night sky was covered by dark clouds overhead. A familiar earthy scent hung in the air.

Rain was coming.

* * *

In the ship's hold, a number of the salvagers congregated in preparation for the job that would soon take place.A particularly burly salvager with dark skin stood on top of a table, addressing the crowd."Alright, men. We've all gotten the briefing on what we're here to find today, yes?" He announced, his booming voice reverberating off the walls.

"Aye!" They answered back, equally as loud.

The man grinned widely. "Good. We're to arrive at our destination within the next hour or so. I want every one of you cloud sniffers to be ready before then!"He paused for effect. "THAT MEANS SOBERING UP."

A few groans escaped the crowd.

The man's grin quickly faded, replaced with a snarl. "May I REMIND you all of the last time we tried doing a salvage while on a bender?!"

A few knowing glances were exchanged.

"Right, that's what I thought. Now go sober up you lot!" He yelled. "Else you'll have to deal with one our clients here." He thumbed toward a man decked out in black armor, wearing an evil grin on his face.

* * *

Inside a nearby cabin, Nia lay on a bed, having quietly watched the lecture through a crack in the door. A humorous grin now splayed across her lips. _Just the sight of Malos probably made half those idiots spill their drinks!_ Nia giggled to herself for a little bit, before her mind began to wander again. Somehow or another, she found herself think about that kid Rex again.

She'd left him up in that crow's nest a while ago. She'd made the excuse that she was bothering him and he needed to focus on his job. She recalled how he looked a little sad to see her go as she was descending the stairs.

Nia wondered what he thought of her. Did he think she was weird for asking about his parents out of the blue? Did he want to talk to her more? What if he- her thoughts were interrupted upon hearing the door open.

She sat up to see a white tiger with black stripes pad his way in. "Oh, hey Dromarch." She gave a small wave.

"My lady." He said, giving a small bow of his head as the door closed behind him.

She watched him pad up to the side of the bed and lazily reached out a hand and placed it on his coat. "Where did you run off to anyway?" she asked, softly running the tips of her fingers through his fur.

He let out a small yawn. "Just making my rounds around the ship." He said, curling up around the base of the bed.

She smiled softly. "As you would. You always have to be sure of things." She cooed, gently scratching behind his ears, causing the tiger to emit a low purr.

"And what of you, my Lady?" The tiger asked, sounding more than content.

She leaned back on to the bed again. "It was getting a bit loud down here, so I was up in the crow's nest with that kid from earlier." Her hand now draped limply over the side of the bed.

"Which one?"

"The one we met in Bana's office and on the docks."

The tiger paused a moment to think. "Ahh… that young man… Master Rex was it?"

"Yep, that's the one."

"Really?" The tiger seemed to be surprised. "You two only seemed to bicker and make mean looks at each other. When you two met each other the trade guild. What changed?" He asked, clearly interested.

"I uh… I don't know." She had a crooked smile. "I kinda told him to stuff it and leave me alone. Then the next moment he's waking me up telling me something like," -she paused a moment to clear her throat for a falsetto- "'Sleep in a blizzard, sleep in the dirt.'"

"That sounds a bit odd." The tiger grinned, trying to keep his amusement at bay.

She eyed the cheeky tiger with an air of wariness. "I mean there was more banter in between, but well…" Her voice faded.

"Well what?"

"I dunno, he was just really nice to talk to." She mumbled. "That's not weird or anything is it?" She asked, feeling self conscious.

Dromarch smiled warmly. "No, that's completely normal. Do you think you two could be friends?"

"I mean I don't know about FRIENDS, but I would like to know him better it's only been like two days..."

"Baby steps then. Did you two talk about anything else?"

Nia thought a moment, considering whether or not to tell Dromarch about the last bit of their conversation. _Should I? I know Dromarch isn't one to... well..._

She felt herself audibly gulp. "Well... I asked him if he had any parents."

Dromarch quickly sat up, meeting her at the bed's edge, his calm demeanor replaced with an adamant stoniness.

"He said they'd died when he was still a child, and he was raised by some person named 'Gramps' or something." She continued. "The way he described him… The guy is a lot like you."

Dromarch was silent for a moment, looking as though he were pondering something.

"Dromarch, please don't leave me in the hanging in the wind here." She asked nervously.

"Sorry about that, my Lady. So you think you two are similar like that?"

"Yeah, I guess…" She mumbled, not meeting his gaze. _That and he's got that whole cute 'Going to Eden' thing. Blegh…_

"So you care about him?"

Her face went red hot. "NO! I- ugh! Dromarch, c'mon!" She stammered.

"Sorry sorry. I'm jumping to conclusions here, aren't I?"

"Sort of!" She hissed angrily.

"Here. Let me just..." She watched as the tiger stared at her for a moment, his icy blue eyes defocusing. The two of them began glow with a golden light and small ethereal string spun it's way between the two of them.

After a few seconds, he seemed to come to and his eyes refocused the string disappearing along with the light. "So you just don't want anything bad to happen to him..."

She sighed audibly, feeling like a weight had been taken off her. "Yeah... did you really have to do it that way though?" She asked, giving him a knowing look.

"Sorry. You were having trouble there. I only wanted to lend a hand, it's part of my duty as your Blade." He smiled sheepishly at her.

"It's ok. Just… let me say it myself next time." She said, giving him a tired smile.

Dromarch returned the smile, and she petted his head aptly."Thank you, my Lady. But what will you do about him then?"

"I... I guess watch over him during the mission and make sure nothing happens to him." She wore a small grimace. "At least until he gets back to the Argentum Trade Guild with the rest of the slobs…"

"That…is rather considerate of you, my Lady." The tiger admitted, giving her a look of approval.

She smirked at him. "Shut up. He's dumb as is. This is probably the least I could do."

* * *

Their conversation continued, mainly focusing on the job. While they wrapped up, Nia decided to ask Dromarch one more question that would help get any doubts she had off her conscious.

* * *

"Hey Dromarch?"

"Yes, my Lady?" He asked, his voice coming up and over the edge of the bed.

"Umm… do you think it's the right thing being here?"

The tiger didn't respond.

Her cheeks heated up a little. "I mean with the mission and Jin and all."

"Did something else happen up in that crow's nest?"

She shook her head. "No no, it's...just been bothering me since we boarded this scrap dump."

"Are you having second thoughts?" The tiger's voice softened slightly.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm just getting antsy is all…" she grumbled dismissively, curling herself into a ball.

"It is your first field mission with the Jin and Malos. Anyone would be." Dromarch reassured.

"Yeah, if it were any other mission than this one!" Her voice rising."I mean this whole aegis business sounds like a big deal! I just don't know if we're cut out for this..." she said, feeling more than a little flustered.

"My Lady?" Dromarch calmly asked.

"Yeah, Dromarch?!" she asked exasperatedly.

"I don't think Jin picked you purely based on chance. There would be a reason for you to be here."

"I know that, and I'm happy were actually getting somewhere in the world that isn't under a tree in the middle of rainstorm while we fight off hypothermia!" Nia paused a moment to let herself catch her breath. "I mean I do want to help Jin I-I owe him that much after all." She looked listlessly at her own gloved hand. "I just don't want anything bad to happen again because of me..."

Dromarch had a sad look on his face; she swore he was pitying her.

"Look, I know I'm being weak right now but-"She suddenly felt Dromarch nuzzle her face. "Ah- Hey! Dromarch what are you -" followed by a warm, course, tongue running itself across her cheek "- blegh?! Argh!"

She forcefully pushed the tiger off the bed, hurriedly wiping the slobber from her face. "Dromarch! You-" Her words caught in her throat upon noticing him warmly smiling at her.

"Ugh… you're an idiot." She smiled while blushing a little, landing a playful punch on his snout, feeling a bit embarrassed.

He nuzzled her reddened face one more time for good measure. "I think you'll do fine. Jin trusts you. Trust yourself as well."

Nia was reminded of when she first met Dromarch. She'd been much younger and weaker then. Back then, Dromarch was a lot bigger than her, and scarier, but as she got to know the Blade, she found his personality to be much softer than his appearance seemed to suggest. Whenever she used to cry, Dromarch always jumped into action and would comfort her anyway he knew possible. This just happened to be one of his ways of doing it.

She felt a small smile appear on her lips. "Thanks Dro-" She began to say but was cut short as a voice blasting over the PA system, echoing throughout the entire ship.

"We are in position. All personnel, report to stations. Salvage team, suit up and proceed to the hatch." It said, commanding everyone's attention.

* * *

It was time.

The operation was beginning.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey you're at the end of the chapter! Again! Yay!

I took a few liberties with Dromarch's character as him being a sort of giant tiger shaped sponge for Nia to talk to and get some of her thoughts out on the table. With anyone else she'd have held back, and kept it bottled up. But I also wanted him to have a little bit of an abrasive side (Much like a sponge) and him say stuff to keep her on her toes as well (Not that he's being mean on purpose...). Hope to hear all your thoughts on the change! (or the chapter in general)

Alright, thanks everyone who took the time to read this! It's nice to see people taking an interest in what garbage I come up with.

Also thank you to all those who took the time to review/favorite/follow. You guys are pretty awesome as well.

Finally, thanks for all your support so far!

Special thanks to the Beta Reader(s): (Their name here if they wish to be credited)


	3. Chapter 3 part 1

Ok really there will be spoilers abound. Read at your own risk.

 **Notes:** Thoughts will show up as _italics._

Some names of locations, and aspects of characters will be changed to better reflect the original japanese translation, or have certain liberties taken.

 **Updated: 5/24/18**

 **-** Added some additional dialogue, some minor stuff, etc.

 **A Home for Stray Cats:** Chapter 3 part 1

* * *

Gigantic storm clouds blotted out the night sky above, looking poised to drop their payload at any moment. Below, a ginormous Ark rose from the depths and broke through the surface of the cloud sea.

* * *

The Gormotti girl looked on in awe from the port side of the Maelstrom. _Incredible… Maybe there is something to these salvagers…_

"It's even bigger than our initial reports indicated..." Malos commented, crossing his arms. "Just remember it's what is inside that matters."

"Mmm…" Jin quietly agreed.

Malos turned to her with a stern look. "Nia, this is your first field mission, correct?"

His cold gaze always had a chilling effect on her. It wasn't the most pleasant of feelings. "Y-yes it is." She admitted, feeling a few sizes smaller than she currently was.

"You know your assignment, then?"

She fidgeted a little and stared down at her feet. "I- I do."

He smirked. "Just checking. Come along." He patted her head nonchalantly.

She glared at him and Jin as they crossed the connecting bridge between the two ships, her eyes narrowing.

Once on the deck of the Ark, the group found themselves approached, oddly enough, by a burly dark skinned salvager. Judging by his wetsuit, he was one of the salvagers who'd dove in and brought the Ark to the surface.

"Phase one of the operation is complete. We are moving onto phase two." He announced.

"Acknowledged." Malos answered. "Tell your men to remain on deck and be ready to go in the moment they are all here. The quicker we finish the better."

"Affirmative." The man agreed, quickly running off to round up the other salvagers who were coming over the side one by one, and landing with incredible efficiency on the deck.

Malos observed the scene on the deck for a moment before turning to the rest of them. "We'll wait here for the rest of them to return to the surface."

She gave a nod in agreement.

 _I wonder if he's around here…_

She looked around, sifting through the dozen or so faceless salvagers already on deck. A worried feeling creeping over her.

"Were you looking for something, my Lady?" Dromarch asked, suddenly appearing at her side.

She yelped and nearly jumped at his sudden appearance. "Dromarch?! How long have you been there?"

"Since we came over here." There was an innocent look on his face.

"Well, quit it. You're WAY too good at sneaking up on people." She chided him.

He tilted his head. "Sorry, I didn't tell you earlier?" The tiger asked, sounding as if he'd done something wrong.

She gave a huff of annoyance, "Whatever, it's fine." She said, regaining her composure.

"Were you looking for Master Rex?"

"Yeah, I didn't see him when they all dove off to bring the Ark up. Did you?" She asked, turning away from the crowd for a moment.

He shook his head. "No, I didn't see him either." He answered, with a sad look. "Though I do remember him wearing a blue wetsuit…"

Her ears perked up and she not so subtly began scanning the deck again. "A blue wetsuit eh?" She repeated to herself, noticing more and more salvagers rocketing over the edge. _There's so many… Crap, at this rate I'm gonna-_

"Watch out!" A voice rang out from above her.

She turned around in time to only able to catch a glance of something she'd only describe as 'large' and 'heavy' careening down on her before she was knocked face-first to the ground.

"Ow… Who the..?" She groaned, trying in vain to get whatever it was off of her.

"My Lady, are you ok!?" Dromarch yelped.

"Yeah yeah, just give me a moment here." She groaned, her head sparking with pain as if she'd ran straight into a tree.

"Oh jeez, is that you Nia? Are you ok?" A different voice asked, this time surprisingly close to her head. She felt the weight lift itself off of her and a hand grab a hold of her own. "Here, let me help you up."

"Who are-" She began to ask, but quickly found the question answered. "REX?!" She exclaimed, still holding her head.

He had the look of a wounded animal. "H-hey Nia, nice meeting you here." He laughed nervously.

Looking at him, she felt the weirdest feeling of relief coupled with an urge to punch him. For a moment, it looked as though she might follow through with that urge. Instead, she simply conked him gently on the head. "Hey kid, how are you doing?" She smiled at him.

He rubbed the top of his head, a look of relief on his face. "Just got back from being down below. I didn't know you were going to be standing on my exact landing point so…" He motioned to the edge of the ship.

"Does that whole crashing into people thing happen often? I thought you did this for a living?"

"Ehehe... I never said I was the best did I?" He displayed a toothy grin.

"Still though…"

"Nia." A cool voice came from behind her, quickly stopping their conversation in its tracks. She turned around and froze for a moment. It was Malos again.

"Jin says the salvagers are ready to go in." He said, with a surprisingly focused look on his face.

"Oh… ok then."

She found herself a little disappointed at having to leave Rex behind already, but it gave her hope that she'd at least be able to see him again after this was all said and done.

He suddenly pointed past her, in Rex's direction. "He's coming with us as well."

Rex's eyes visibly widened. "Huh?"

Her head swiveled between Rex and Malos for a moment. "Wait, we're going to drag the kid along with as well?!"

"Jin thinks you'll need all the help you can get." Malos shrugged.

She felt her stomach drop. The last thing she wanted Rex doing was getting involved in their business. "Wait, I don't-!" She exclaimed, but Malos had already begun walking away. Her shoulders sulked for a moment, and her head dipped. "Ugh… I really hate that guy sometimes…" She grumbled. _He's also kind of an ass as well._

She motioned to Rex and Dromarch "C'mon, you two." Both quietly complied.

* * *

They quickly joined Malos and Jin and descended into the bowels of the Ark. Their goal: A chamber located in its lower decks.

As the group descended further, they found that while the outside of the ship had little in the way of wear, the inside had been infested by the local aquatic life who were none too happy to receive their company.

Again and again they were accosted, and time and time again they would have to fend off surges of the angry wildlife, which only grew more frequent and hostile as they neared their destination.

* * *

Nia lept forwards through the small space between the bulkhead doors just in time for them to slam behind her. From beyond she could hear the sounds of scratching and the occasional screech.

With beads of sweat running down her brow, she slowly backed away from the bulkhead trying to catch her breath as she did.

"That was close." A suprisingly calm Malos remarked from behind her.

Nia turned back to him with a sharp glare. "Yeah, no thanks to you.." She growled roughly, wiping some green goo from her cheek.

"What? I was busy making sure the kid didn't get left behind." The man shrugged, motioning towards a wide-eyed Rex who was propped up against a nearby wall, still looking a bit pale in the face.

Nia looked from Malos to Rex with a measure of relief, though found a sour stomach crop up in her stomach upon noticing the glassy look in his eyes.

She turned to Malos again, narrowing her eyes. "I don't think the kid is doing so good, can you give me a moment with him?"

He sighed with annoyance. "Yeah, sure. Jin wandered off ahead anyway." He began to stalk away down the cooridor. "Just make sure to catch up when your done."

Nia watched him leave, biting back some unsightly words, till he was out of sight.

 _Jerk..._

Turning her attention to the boy, she crept towards him, taking note of his labored breaths.

"Hey, Rex? Are you alright?" She asked, cautiously.

"Yeah… Never… Better…" He panted, looking a bit pale.

She carefully observed his wetsuit for any tears or punctures, which, thankfully, she found none. "Did you get bit or stung?"

"No no… It's just that it's been," he took a deep breath, "HARD to keep up with you drivers considering I've only got this big ol' metal hunk of metal here..." He held up his aforementioned blade which resembled more that of a twisted piece of scrap than any blade.

 _That weapon is just about done, and he's not looking much better. Poor kid. Never should've brought him here..._

"Yeah... Doesn't help that Malos went and kicked that nest of crab-things back there." She

Her voice softened . "Listen, if you need to go back I can tell-"

"No, I can keep going."

"But Rex, you-"

"I said I'm fine. I... I want to do this. I want to challenge myself." He straightened as he seemed to finally catch his breath and began to take his first step.

Unfortunately, it only ended with his legs giving out from under him, causing him to fall forwards.

Thankfully, she'd been able to catch him in time, grabbing him by the waist and supporting him with her own weight and muscle. "C'mon kid… Know your limits."

"Sorry…" He managed weakly, then promptly went limp in her arms.

Her mind began to race, and she could feel herself begin to panic. _Crap. crap. crap. CRAP!_

 _Uh… Ok, you've done fieldcare before. It may've been with little woodland creatures this shouldn't be too different, right?_

She carefully maneuvered him so she was able to softly lay his unconcious form down on the metal floor with his head facing upwards. Running a hand over his suit, she could feel nothing especially wrong with his body.

She quickly signalled Dromarch over, who'd been keeping his distance from the bulkheads. "Dromarch, you got an art that can get him back up on his feet?"

He nodded and summoned a chakram to her hand.

"Thanks, Furball."

Holding it over her own head, she began twirling it around her index finger, releasing a shower of blue and green light around them.

 _Healing halo_

A moment passed. Then another. Finally, Rex's eyes began to flutter, and then finally open. He seemed to observe the room around him for a moment before opening his mouth.

"What happened?" He asked groggily, his eyes settling on her face.

Nia let out a sigh of relief. _It worked..._

"You passed out." She stated carefully, trying to relieve tightness in her chest.

"Oh." He pursed his lips, looking as if to recall something.

"What is it?" She asked, trepidation creeping up on her once again.

A wry smile appeared on his lips. "I think I know why I passed out."

 _I swear if he says something stupid..._

"I don't think I've eaten anything in two days."

She was at a loss for words, if only for a few seconds. "You think- I don't even... If you were hungry, why didn't you just SAY SOMETHING?!" She nearly smacked his stomach on impulse.

He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I just didn't have the time." He appeared to have enough energy to slowly sit up.

Nia sat back and took a deep breath letting the tightness in her chest slowly relax and finally disappear. "Dromarch, you still got that biscuit I was saving for a rainy day?" She asked tiredly.

"Right here, my Lady." The tiger said, presenting a pouch that had been attached to his side.

She dug through it and found what she'd been looking for. "Here." She handed the biscuit to Rex, who took it graciously and began to chew it with much vigor.

She watched him chew the oblong bit of bread, his face quickly lighting up at the taste of the honey she'd managed to keep intact within. "How is it?"

"Mmm... Ib gewb!" he said, while stuffing the rest of it into his mouth, wearing a big stupid smile.

 _Yeah you better enjoy it turd for brains._

 _I put all my effort into getting one of those right. You owe me some stolen dough and about little under a hundred bee stings…_

Feeling drained, she proped herself against the wall next to a very ravenous Rex and watched with a small amount of intrigue as he nearly inhaled the biscuit.

"Better?" She asked, when he'd finally finished the confection.

"Better."

* * *

For Nia, a small amount of time passed between Rex eating the wondrous biscuit made from her hard work and effort, to when he finally was able to walk with some stability.

In that time, Jin and Malos had cleared the way to their destination. Along the way, they mentioned to both of them that they had ran into something they could only describe as a 'land shark'. She didn't believe them of course, but Rex listened in wonderment as they described their fight with it.

When Rex was ready, the party continued on their journey with little to no more interruptions, finally arrived at a room with a rather large door located at it's back.

* * *

Out of the corner of her eye, Nia could see Malos whisper something to Jin as they approached the giant set of doors; Jin, meanwhile, nodded in agreement.

Nia's eyebrows creased. _Something's up._

Jin suddenly pointed to Rex. "Open this door."

"Eh?" Rex looked surprised.

"This door will only open to one of you people." He quickly explained.

"Wait, what do you mean, Jin?" Nia tried interjecting, but was quickly overshadowed by Malos.

"Just open the damn door, kid. The sooner we finish, the sooner you get paid and we can all get out of here." He growled, sounding more impatient by the second.

Rex glared at them for a second before cautiously approaching the door.

Jin and Malos watched him intently, waiting for something to happen.

Rex paused for a second before the door, looking a little lost. In that moment, as if reacting to his presence, the door suddenly lit up with a sickly green light and promptly folded itself back into the wall, revealing a long winding hallway with yet another large door located its end.

She tried following him, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. "Wait for him to open the other door." Malos said to her in a low voice, pointing to the blips of electricity that followed Rex's footsteps as he proceeded down the hallway.

 _A trap? How did- Alright, I don't like this one bit._

She quickly wrangled herself from Malos's hand and turned on him. "Ok, you're gonna tell me what's going on here. Right. Now."

"Or what?" Malos smirked. "You were told all you needed to know in the briefing. Plus, you don't have any leverage on me." He paused a moment. "Besides I don't think I have to remind you that you only joined up with us little more than a few months ago." Pointing a mocking finger to his temple.

Nia felt a shiver go up her spine. Malos had that look again, that cold gaze. If looks could kill, this would be one of them.

"N-no it's not like that, I-I only want to help out more..." She mustered, retreating on her earlier accusations.

"Heh, sure. If you want to help: stay out of mine and Jin's way. Otherwise, keep sticking to that little crush of yours over there." His words were blunt, doing nothing to betraying the impact they held.

Her eyes widened, finding herself caught off guard. _W-what did he mean by that_ _?_

Desperate, Nia looked to Jin for support, but he only ignored her. Leaving her to Malos's mercy.

"Do we have an understanding then?" He asked, suddenly towering over her.

She grimaced, and felt a pit form in her stomach. She didn't bother looking him in the eye as she nodded.

"Good."

Behind them, there was another hum and the sound of moving parts. Rex had opened the next door.

"It's safe now. Let's get going." Malos said, leaving Nia to stand by herself.

She sniffled a little, and quietly followed after.

* * *

They followed the hallway, which eventually tapered down into an even smaller tunnel, the whole of which was covered by a hazy green fog. Oddly enough, it had a scent of citrus to it.

At the tunnel's end, it opened up into to a large circular chamber, which, at the center, housed a large circular pillar with a large ornate sword embedded near its base.

* * *

Upon entering the room, she could see Rex staring at the sword intently, the jewel near its hilt glowing a brilliant green.

"Look Jin, there she is. No mistaking it." Malos mumbled, motioning past the sword towards the pillar.

Her gaze followed theirs and went from the pillar's base upwards, stopping at what looked like a girl encased in a glass tube. She looked to be sleeping, like she were waiting for something. _That must be the Aegis..._

Her gaze flicked down to Rex, transfixed by the blade's light.

"Rex? Are you ok?" She tried calling out to him in vain, as he began to reach for it.

Malos took notice of Rex as well. "Hey kid, don't touch that!" He yelled.

The boy violently flinched for a moment and there was an audible sound of glass breaking. In that same exact moment, a number of things occurred in quick succession: The sound of metal sliding.

Nia looked to the sound's origin, it was Jin drawing his sword.

There was a sudden rush of air pressure, followed by a small explosion of energy.

Before she could blink Jin disappeared, a rush of wind and force instantly knocking her to the ground.

From the direction of the massive pillar, she could hear a sickening wet crunch and the sound of something hitting the floor.

Nia looked back to the pillar, a nameless fear telling her something horrible had happened. Where there had been the embedded ornate sword previously, now was just a thousand pieces scattered. Among the pieces Rex's lifeless body lay on the metal floor in a growing pool of his own blood, while Jin stood over the corpse; meticulously flicking the blood from his sword.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Welcome to the end of part one of chapter three. Some stuff happened huh?

Funfact: The land shark miniboss was going to be a humourous scene of Nia and Rex arguing on whether or not they existed, and then getting ambushed by one and running away in only the most silly way possible. I think I made the right choice to get rid of it.

I also didn't really know how far I wanted to go with the scene at the end here. I'm trying to keep it pg-13 here so... Y'know... Hopefully it was just enough to still get the full impact of it all...

But yeah, in the time I've gotten the second chapter up I've gotten quite a few followers and favorites. Just gotta say: You guys ROCK. Thanks for caring!

As for everything else... reviews are always appreciated: Feedback is important to me. Please feel free to share your thoughts.

And finally... Thanks for the support so far!

Special thanks to the Beta Reader(s): (Their name here if they wish to be credited)


	4. Chapter 3 Part 2

Holy man, do you know the meaning of spoilers? Cause there is alot of em' in here.

 **Note:** Thoughts will show up as _italics._

Some names of locations, and aspects of characters will be changed to better reflect the original Japanese translation, or have certain liberties taken.

Drivers are ones who use Blades. Blades are living manifestations of a core crystal. (Kinda like stands from JoJo) They share a connection with their driver with which both of grow more powerful the stronger their connection is.

 **Updated 2/27/18**

 **-** Changed some of the more clunkier sentences to read better and fixed some typos.

 **A Home for Stray Cats:** Chapter 3 Part 2

* * *

Nia felt as though she'd been socked her in the gut. She felt as if she were in a dream.

A very bad dream.

She asked herself if this was all really happening, but found that the longer she stared, the more apparent it became to her that this was all very real.

Rex had been killed. His lifeless body lay in a pool of his own blood.

She could see Jin hunched over the boy. By the way his lips moved, he looked to be saying something though she couldn't make out what. Jin got back to his feet and slowly walked back, passing both her and Malos, his expression hidden behind the mask he wore. A mixture of emotions and feelings welled up inside her. A voice within her wanted to scream at the both of them. Tell them that they'd just killed an innocent boy. Say that they were murderers, monsters, and that she'd never forgive them. In that moment, she saw only red.

"W-why did you kill him?!" She yelled, her voice echoing off the walls.

Jin turned to her, unblinking. "Why did you kill Rex?!" She continued, "What did he ever do to you, huh?! Jin!?" Her voice swelled with emotion.

He stared at her for a moment, seeming to study her before turning and walking away. "Jin, answer me!" She screamed, running after him. She quickly found herself blocked by Malos, who'd stepped in front of her.

She barely registered him and tried shoving past him. "Out of my way!" She hissed angrily, feeling Malos suddenly grab a hold of her arm.

"Wha- ah! Hey! Let me go!" She yelped, trying to free herself in vain. "Nia. Think carefully about what you're doing here." He calmly asked, in spite of her anger.

"What?!" She growled, finally wrenching herself from his grasp.

"You heard me." His tone turned dangerous.

Nia found herself in a standoff with Malos. She could feel him watching her, waiting to see what she would do next.

Dromarch appeared between the two of them. "My Lady, perhaps we should take his advice...".

"What?! No!" She spat, standing her ground.

The tiger's expression grew stoney. "My Lady… This isn't really the time." He pressured.

Malos crossed his arms impatiently. "Your cat here seems like he's the one who's got his head on straight. Why don't you listen to him?"

Nia grit her teeth, hesitant to back down. Deep down she knew Dromarch was right. It was just… Nia grit her teeth, and clenched her fists.

"I- I just can't…" She stubbornly muttered.

Malos sighed. "I don't care what you're reasoning is girl, I don't even really care about you too much either. But if you're really THAT broken up over it, you can leave after this job is done. No one would blame you."

When she didn't respond, Malos gave her a dismissive shrug. "Tch… Fine. I give up." He said, throwing his arms up in defeat. "Do whatever you damn well please. Meantime, why don't you make yourself useful and call the Monoceros so we can finish up here."

Nia watched as Malos walked passed her towards the Aegis' case, regarding Rex's corpse with cold eyes before shaking his head disappointedly and setting to work detaching the Aegis' glass casing from the pillar it stood upon.

The moment of tension passed and she took a deep breath, the red haze dissipated leaving behind an uncomfortable melancholy.

Pausing a moment, she hesitantly walked over to where Rex lay. Carefully, she turned his body over noting the pained look in his glazed eyes, and she gently nudged them shut. She hoped he would look somewhat calmer like this. With a sad smile, she ruffled his short brown hair. _I'll find your 'Gramps' and tell him what happened. I won't leave him wondering what's happened to you._

Nia felt the tears begin to well up; a sharp quiver appeared in her throat. _I'm sorry…_

"Are you done?" Malos asked impatiently, hefting the glass case on his shoulder with ease. "We're leaving now. Have you called the Monoceros?"

She wiped the moisture away and gave him a sharp glare, grabbing a small hand held device she'd kept strapped to her hip. She clicked the talk button on the side with her thumb."This is Nia. We've secured the objective." There was a momentary pause.

"... Acknowledged, we are 25 peds from your position. Be topside in ten."

"...Roger."

* * *

The trio arrived back on the main deck, with a fair amount of time remaining before the Monoceros arrived.

A cool wet sensation hit the top of Nia's head, followed by another, and then another. She looked up, briefly noting how the sky looked having been swallowed in darkness by the storm clouds. It had begun to rain. Lightning exploded in the distance, sounding as if it were someone pounding a drum upon the land.

She pulled her hood over her head, and looked out over the deck spotting Jin waiting for them at the far end. They made a beeline for him. As they walked, she couldn't help but notice that the remaining salvagers who were still on deck eyed them warily.

"Nia. We have to get rid of them." Malos said in a low voice, continuing to walk.

Her legs nearly froze up. "Wh- Huh?"

He turned back to her, with a severe look. "The less people who know about us obtaining the Aegis, the better."

She looked at him wide-eyed, desperately stifling her voice. "N-no I can't! Not after-"

Malos turned on her. "I just don't get you, Nia. First, the kid, and now these nobodies. It's like you've forgotten why you even joined with us in the first place." He sounded genuinely angry now.

"Malos I-" She tried explaining, only to have him interrupt her again.

"Fine. I'll do it myself then." He scoffed, dropping the case with a heavy slam.

The instant the case touched the ground, it combusted into flames. Nia stumbled backwards and shielded herself from the intense heat with one of her arms.

The case imploded in on itself with a loud crunch, launching a singular flaming ball skyward into the helm of the Ark. In its wake stood the girl from the case: her red hair coupled with her green eyes and the glow of the flames exuded a presence like no other.

Malos looked on in awe, a crazed look in his eyes. "Incredible."

Meanwhile, a deep rumbling could be felt from within the Ark. Suddenly, a massive circle began to glow with an intense heat at Nia's feet and began to bend upwards.

"Huh?" Nia looked down in confusion.

"My Lady move!" Dromarch shouted, tackling her as the circle burst like a bubble sending metal and shrapnel everywhere. A massive pillar of flames shot upwards from the depths of the Ark out of the newly formed hole in the deck.

"What was that Dromarch?" Nia yelled, still seeing a few stars.

"My Lady look! Up in the air!"

Nia looked up in time to see a familiar looking boy launch out of the flaming pillar's peak as it dissipated.

Nia recognized him the moment he landed on the deck. "Rex?!"

"You! And that sword…" Malos shouted, surprised.

In Rex's hand was the ornate sword she'd thought had been destroyed. Now it glowed and writhed with a bright energy that extended from from the sword's hilt to its sharp point.

Nia watched Rex get to his feet and point the sword in Malos's direction. "It's low to stab someone in the back y'know." He remarked, signalling to the girl to cover him.

Jin moved to unsheathe his sword once again, stopped only by Malos. "Don't, Jin. I want to see what the kid's got. Let me handle this."

Jin hesitated, and then nodded.

Nia was dumbfounded. Rex was dead; she saw him die. Saw his body; closed his eyes. _How is this possible?!_

"Get ready!" Rex yelled charging forwards at Malos, holding the grip of his weapon with both hands, poised to bring it down on Malos' head. Malos readied himself, brandishing his own sword in a reverse grip, his Blade meanwhile materializing behind him, ready to intercept any who would interfere.

Nia's felt like she were stuck to ground. _Rex, what are you doing you idiot?! You can't fight Malos! He's too strong for you!_

The two connected with a loud clang, and rebounded off each other. Rex was forced back a fair distance. "Sorry kid, Just because you're the Aegis' driver now doesn't mean I'm gonna let that continue." Malos goaded Rex.

 _Rex is the Aegis' driver? Then that would make the girl his-_

Rex and Malos exchanged more blows. Rex took the initiative and carried on with quick, but precise, heavy swings aimed to pound through the older man's defense. In between the explosive connections, a fist landed itself squarely in Rex's chest, nearly knocking the wind out of him. He fell backwards and managed to scramble out of the way of Malos's impending follow up, desperately trying to get to his feet while still gasping desperately for air.

Malos grinned widely, savagely swinging downward again and again, smashing deep divots into the deck, slowly backing Rex into a corner. When he was sure he'd cornered the kid, he readied another swing, confident that this would be the one to end the fight. To his surprise, the sword glanced sideways and flew out of his hand. His own Blade quickly appearing and recovering for him. He backed up and regained his stance. "Freaking Aegis… Always such a pain." He grumbled to himself.

"Keep on your feet and don't let up, Rex." The Aegis's voice was steady.

Rex got to his feet, feeling his lungs finally filling with air again. "Right, thanks."

The both Rex and the Aegis charged down Malos and retaliated with equal ferocity, Malos and his Blade answering in kind.

It was like nothing Nia had ever seen before. The way Rex and the Aegis moved, how in sync their actions were with each other. Where had the annoying and surprisingly modest boy she'd met gone to? And where did this kid come from?

Out of the corner of his eye, Malos noticed the remaining salvagers hurriedly boarding the Maelstrom, looking more than ready to escape. He leapt effortlessly out of Rex's range. "Keh. I don't think so." He held his sword at his middle and aimed a massive blast of arts directed toward Maelstrom's crew.

Rex instinctively held his sword back right and swung in long arc forwards, releasing a molten projectile, catching Malos off guard with a startlingly powerful explosion. Rex launched himself at Malos, knowing he'd created an opening in his defenses, the Aegis joining him at his side. The two of them glowed with a golden light as they rocketed forwards on a collision course with Malos, their sword held out like a spear.

* * *

Nia flinched against the force of the air pressure released by Rex and the Aegis' explosion as it covered the whole area with a billowy cloud of smoke.

It was incredible. Rex was actually doing it. He was keeping up with Malos.

Her hopes soared and she glanced to the remaining salvagers. Rex's assault had given them the time to disengage the Maelstrom from the Ark and quickly disappear into the distance, far away from Jin and Malos.

Nia let out a sigh of relief. _Good job, kid._

"My Lady, I believe Rex is outmatched here." Dromarch turned to her worriedly.

"That's impossible." Narrowing her eyes. "Didn't you see what Rex and the Aegis just did!?" She asked in disbelief.

"I did. And Malos and his Blade blocked it."

"What!?" Her head snapped back to Rex.

Rex was chucked limply out of the smoky cloud, his body hitting the ground with a heavy thud. The sword fell from his grasp with a series of twangs and bounced a few times off the ground. Malos quickly emerged from the cloud, looking to finish Rex off.

She searched where the Aegis was in all of this, and spotted her dodging wild swings from Malos' Blade. "Rex!" She shouted fearfully. Nia bit her lip in frustration. _Crap, she doesn't have time to get to him…_

"What will you do, my Lady?" Dromarch looked at her expectantly.

"I- I don't…" She stuttered. _If I help Rex, then Malos, Jin, and the rest of them will probably kill me. But if I don't…_

Images of Rex's corpse flashed through her mind. _Aw just screw it all._

In an instant she was on her feet, and leapt to Dromarch's back. "Let's go!" Nia shouted, the two of them bounding after Malos.

Quickly closing the distance between herself and Rex, they launched a barrage of arts in front of the oncoming Malos halting his advance. "Nia, what are you doing? Have you gone mad?!" He yelled, baring his teeth as they came skidding to a halt in front of him.

"Dammit, would you just shut up?! He's just a freaking kid!" She shouted back, her grip on Dromarch's fur tightening.

"I thought we'd already dealt with this issue, Nia. Don't you comprehend your situation?!"

"I do! And-" She shot back.

"You're really starting to piss me off!" Malos growled.

"And I have had it up to here all day- Dromarch!"

 _Tiger Fury_

Dromarch unleashed a shockwave like no other. In fact, it should've blown Malos right off the ship had it not been for his Blade throwing up a barrier, stifling its effects. In the midst of this, the Aegis, freed of Malos Blade's attention, darted past and picked up Rex's sword, and rounded back with such speed that Nia wouldn't have noticed the Aegis if she'd not have jumped over her.

The Aegis brought the sword down with a gracefulness Nia hadn't seen before in her life. Despite this, Malos was able to block the blow with his sword, if not barely. She kicked herself off him and did a twist in the air, landing in time to block another swing from Malos.

The two of them would've looked like they were reenacting a dance of some sort if it weren't for the fact that they both swung deadly weapons at one another.

From behind, Nia could hear Rex groaning and coughing. _Good. He's still with us._

"Good to see you're awake, kid." She turned and grinned at him. "Nia…" Rex had a equal amount of surprise and relief on his face.

By now, the Aegis and Malos had locked swords in a stalemate of who would give first. Sparks flew left and right as their weapons grinded against one another. It was obvious the two of them stood on nearly equal footing.

From behind her, a large black ship suddenly appeared, pulling up beside the Ark with frightening speed. Nia's heart sank _. It's the Monoceros, times up. They're here._

An array of large cannons extended out of the top of the ship's bulkheads, pointing directly at the Aegis. "Look out!" Rex yelled, sprinting past Nia toward the Aegis.

"Rex wait!" Nia yelled, following close behind.

A splash of explosions rocked the deck of the Ark, knocking the Aegis backwards into the waiting arms of Rex, who'd just narrowly evaded the explosion himself. Malos meanwhile hadn't been so lucky, landing with a dull thud at the far end of the deck roughly near where Jin stood stoically with his still arms folded.

With Nia on his back, Dromarch came skidding to a halt in front of Rex and the Aegis. "You two ok?" Nia hurriedly asked. Both nodded, but just by the look of them she could tell they were at their limits.

A series of mechanical noises issued from Monoceros's deck and a row of secondary guns rose upward, positioning to fire on them again. _Crap, this isn't good. In fact: NONE of this is good._

 _They were on an old decrepit ship in the middle of nowhere with a ship full of people who were likely more than happy to end their lives right next to them. Why did they care about killing Rex so much?! Even if he was the Aegis's driver. He was just a kid! A freaking kid!_

 _I'm tired of it!_

Making a split second decision she had Dromarch put the both of them in front of Rex and the Aegis. Rex gasped. "Nia what are you-" Nia helped Dromarch throw up a barrier in front of themselves. "Shut up and stay behind us!" She yelled, bracing herself for the imminent hail of bullets. _This is gonna hurt. This is REALLY gonna hurt._

In that moment, a spray of gunfire doused their shields. Even from the outset she swore it felt like they were trying to hold back an entire firing line. Everything around her began to slow down as her strength waned and her thoughts grew fuzzy. "Dammit… just a little longer." She strained, trying to keep the barrier raised.

"Nia! On your left!" Rex yelled.

Nia's eyes swept over in time to notice a singular cannon with it's massive barrel pointed in her direction.

She grimaced, and inhaled sharply.

* * *

Nia found herself hurtling through the air in slow motion. _That really hurt, I guess the shield backfired from the impact..._

Her vision began to blur and tunnel in on itself. _Seems like I'm blacking out as well. Good job me. Thanks for overdoing it._

Glancing downward, she could see clouds slowly coming up to meet her. _Oh nice, I got launched over the side too…_

Her best case scenario: she blacks out before she hit the clouds and simply drowns. Worst case scenario: she somehow survives and drowns later. Neither were that bad of ways to go, all considering.

She couldn't help but laugh a little. It was a bit silly of her to even think she could handle a barrage like that. _Ah well… this is what I get for trying to protect others._

There was sudden jolt and she found herself suspended in the air, something had a death grip on her forearm.

With what strength she had left she weakly looked up. Much to her own surprise it was Rex, of all people, holding onto her forearm for dear life. He looked like he was in trouble, judging by how he kept yelling at her not to let go.

Nia's eyes rolled up in her head and darkness swallowed her.

* * *

 **Author's Note(s):** Oh my GOSH its here! Only took what? Like a week and a half - two weeks?

So if you've never written before or are just beginning here's a hot tip: writing fight scenes is HARD. This one of the reasons I had a proofreader take a look over my work so far so that it hopefully didn't really drag too much.

So of for those who've stuck around: thanks alot!

I'd also like to thank the people who favorited,followed, or took the time to write a review. You're pretty cool people as well.

Feel free to leave a review and tell me how you think it came out. Feedback is almost always pretty good to get back

Special thanks to the beta reader(s) who helped: (Their name will be put here if they want to be credited)


	5. Update

Hey all it's been a while hasn't it? I'm just writing this update to catch everyone up to speed on what has been going with the story and why It's been left to collect dust.

I'll make the answer simple and say: Things got busy. Got a major case of writers block, didn't have time or energy to write yada yada.

Putting that aside, I'm am going tell you all that it hasn't been abandoned. I am in the process of doing a rewrite for it at the moment and posting it as a new story under a similar name. The first chapter should be up in a very short time, keep an eye out for it.

As for the original I will keep it up for people to go back and read at their leisure, but I don't plan on adding anything else to it.

To everyone that has read/favorited/followed the original I want to say: thank you all so much for waiting so patiently.

Seriously, you all rock. Thanks.


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